WHAT We DO

We are all teachers Adult Education to Honor the Wisdom in EveryoneI facilitate creative, customized, highly interactive workshops, peer support & team-building sessions for parents and providers of family services. Here is a sampling of some of the workshops I have collaborated on at Albany Park Community Center for the ESL/Family Literacy program, at Logan Square Neighborhood Association for Early Learning Ambassadors in the Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors) parent leadership program, and at Commonbound, the extraordinary biannual gathering organized by The New Economy Coalition.

Literacy for LifeEasy Tips for Raising Future Readers​Music + Movement = Motivation!Use Music to Optimize Learning in Every Developmental DomainDevelopmental DelaysWhat's Typical? What's Not? Where Can We Get Help?Fill Your CupStress, Health, & Self-Care for Caregivers with No Time or MoneyWe Are Worth More: Caregivers of the World Unite(Click here to read all about it.)Power to the Parents: Reclaiming Our Voices, Our Worth, and Our World (a special webinar in partnership with The Caring Economy Campaign, happening again on May 24!)

While I bring my knowledge to the table as a mother, teacher and developmental therapist, my work is rooted in the understanding that parents and providers who are on the ground working with children every day have a wealth of wisdom to share - plenty to teach each other, and plenty to teach me! If you're interested in a workshop or support group customized to your organization's needs - or in consulting on how to make you can improve attendance at your workshops by making them more active, democratic and participant-driven - please contact me! I love to collaborate and co-teach. For more info about group processes, see the Social Groups page.

“The class was amazing, I loved it and I learned a lot!” - Griselda

“Super helpful and thought-provoking.” - Terri

“This is exactly what I needed. You helped us to connect with each other, but you also asked us to search for answers inside ourselves. I was surprised by the answers that I found.” - Nicole

"The mingling and the pace kept me engaged, and there was so much to talk about, I feel like we were just getting started!” - Mark

"Kate's facilitation of popular education was full of energy and deep love. Like a mother she excitedly nudged us along as we built community and worked our ways through understanding our power and presence as caregivers.” - Paige

"I did not expect that this program would illicit so much emotion in me. I find myself in tears after demanding financial stability in the midst of all the caring I provide. I surprised myself. That surprise became an eruption of discontent that has been ignored for far too long and I'm using it to propel myself forward. Thank you for allowing me to feel validated in my own needs." - Donna

​Developmental Playgroups:Inclusive, Intergenerational Social LearningIn an era when so many families feel isolated and disenfranchised, and so many teachers and social service providers are overworked or out of work, the need is greater than ever to work smarter, not harder. Creating space where parents and other caregivers can support each other and learn from each other is fun, it feels good, and it's highly effective. Developmental playgroups are a relationship-based, popular education approach that can promote school readiness, family engagement in education, strong social networks, resilient families, interagency collaboration, and civic engagement. Please click on the Social Groupspage for more information about this important work.​

Row, Row, Row Your Boat... music & movement boost language, motor & social skills, all at once! And rhyme and rhythm help lay the cognitive groundwork for success in reading & math.

Family-PoweredDevelopmental TherapyI'm a credentialed developmental therapist for the Illinois Early Intervention program. Through play-based assessment in your home, I can help you determine whether your child under 3 qualifies for Early Intervention. I also work privately with families of children over 3, in both home and school settings, to help you maximize your child's development and advocate for your child's rights. You are the expert on your child, and the everyday interactions you have with your child literally wire your child's brain. As pioneering child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan told parents, "You are not the problem. But you can be the solution." My in-home listening and coaching can help you reflect on your parenting, tune in to what lies underneath your child's behaviors, and figure out what you need to prioritize. This work is rooted in Sensory Integration Theory and DIR / Floortime principles (see Philosophyfor more information) - we can't work on cognitive development unless we address a child's physical, sensory, emotional and regulatory needs! Through humor and play, your child can grow in a natural, highly motivating context. Since every family is different, every plan is customized: from helping your child adapt to classroom and social situations, to helping you articulate your needs at IEP and other team meetings, to integrating technology like iPad communication apps, social stories, video modeling, and visual aids - the possibilities are endless!

​Infant MassageWhat simple, parent-powered practice has been proven to improve sleep, ease colic, improve weight gain for preterm babies, reduce mothers' anxiety and depression, and improve fathers' self-esteem? Infant massage! Vimala McClure, founder of IAIM, says "Infant massage is not a fad. It's an ancient art that connects you deeply with your baby, and it helps you to understand your baby's nonverbal language and respond with love and respectful listening. It empowers you as a parent, for it gives you the means by which you can become an expert on your own child." Through individual coaching sessions in the home, or in small group classes, caregivers can learn to massage their infants in 3-6 sessions. Infant massage helped me beat my own postpartum depression, so I'm especially passionate about passing this skill on to new parents. Giving is receiving - it's remarkable how many parents say, "This relaxes me just as much as it relaxes my baby!" Every family can benefit from infant massage, and it's enormously helpful for parents who may need extra support forming secure attachments to their children, such as adolescent parents, adoptive and foster parents, and parents living with a disability or mental illness. For more information, please scroll down to the bottom of this page and check out the brochure.

Clear, Concise, Vivid: Writing & Editing SupportI get so frustrated with the lack of simple, accurate, parent-friendly writing about development topics online and in books, I often write my own handouts and mini-articles to share with families. Do you need input on a writing project? Need help expressing yourself for an article, blurb, or brochure, or support in crafting a report, or a letter to advocate for your rights? I have a degree in creative writing from Columbia College, and a passion for finding the human story in every situation. I’m also a terribly meticulous grammar and spelling nerd. Everyone has something important to say, and I love working with people to help them make their voices ring clear.

Public SpeakingFrom poetry slams to press conferences to town halls, I love to speak up in public. In 2016 I was awarded the Chicago Bughouse Square soapbox championship for my speech Power to the People Who Care: A Warrior Mama’s Manifesto. Check out my public comment to Chicago Board of Education below, and get in touch if you need a speaker for your next event, or want to collaborate to hone your skills in writing, performance poetry, or public speaking.

"Two Dragons Making a Heart with their Fire," Delfa, 2014

Care to collaborate?As you can see, my work is multi-faceted and ever-evolving, because it's always developed in response to your strengths and needs. See something that might work for your family or your organization? Have an idea about how these services might be tweaked or expanded to meet your needs? Please get in touch so we can arrange a free phone consultation. I offer sliding-scale rates based on financial need, and will travel to your home, school, or center.